Despite the ICU Council looking into ways to host the competition in person, ongoing uncertainty and travel restrictions led to a decision to hold the World Cheerleading Championships remotely this year.

The event is to be held in late September, with the deadline for video submissions to be September 24.

"We sincerely appreciate the input we have received from all of our National Federations during this process, and I can assure you that we are committed to having the very best virtual competition possible," wrote ICU President Jeff Webb.

"Within the next few weeks, we will provide you more information on the exact dates, routine submission, judging, and specific technical requirements to assist you and your national teams to prepare for this unique and first-time event."

Initially, this year's World Championships were scheduled for April 2021.

The ICU expects to return to an in-person event in 2022, with that edition of the World Championships scheduled to take place in Orlando from April 20 to 25.

Age categories and divisions will remain unchanged for the virtual World Championships.

Information about the 2021 International All-Star Federation (IASF) Club World Championships is also set to be announced shortly.

The ICU oversees national team competition, while IASF oversees club competition.

"Even with this exciting announcement, it is important to highlight that ICU's commitment to the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, officials, and the larger cheer community remains paramount," added Webb.

"As we provide more information on the World Championships, we expect that all ICU National Federations, coaches and athletes strictly follow your local and national guidelines for COVID-19 protection and put safety first in all that you do."